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Synopses
Story so far... (Sessions 1-3) The story began in the markets of Coanahtan, the capitol city of the Xosa Empire. Where our four unlucky travelers found themselves amidst a minor earthquake and a major robbery. Bandits appeared from all corners, holding traders and salesman hostage while they looted their goods. Our travelers, a Gnome sorcerer, a Weaver, a Half-Tiefling Ranger, and a Dragonborn Monk sprang into action, quickly dispatching the enemies and saving the townsfolk's livelihoods. After some rewarding was done, the gem salesman and his son directed the ragtag group to his wife Zara's Inn. As they arrived at the Inn, Zara informed them of a bounty board available. They argued for a bit over which jobs to take, but decided on just taking them all. The first, a bounty mission for a Kobold Bandit leader to the north. The second, a mysterious happening to the east at the foothills of The Seat of the Pantheon, where crownsguard caravans have been going missing. The third and last, an extermination mission to the south, sent to rid the jungle surrounding Econa of Bloodbats and Bloodhounds. As the group bickered over drinks, they decided on which jobs to do first, and went to sleep. Meeting at the raw hours of 11am, the group finally met together and headed north. After a full day of traveling through the jungle they came upon an abandoned camp, and a cave nearby. After entering the cave they found it to be a lived in space, doubling as a place of worship for three gods of Xosa pantheon. Xindros, the Light's King, Koreias, the Lion Turtle, and The Twelve. After some investigation, they found a cloak hidden under the bed, and a passage behind the living space. The passage led into a cave, leading them to decide between many split paths. Davij, the Gnome, and Suzy, the Half-Tielfing, went down a narrow path and found a spring and a small cavern with salt rocks. After investigating and drinking from the spring, Davij lost his memory of the last 5 minutes, and they moved out of the cavern. Further in the caves, they encountered violent wolf spiders, and quickly dispatched them. The group continued and entered a massive cavern. Flooded with natural light, they could see a massive waterfall, standing 15ft up the leftmost wall, filling a reservoir in front of them. In the center of the reservoir they noted a small island with a land bridge leading to it. As they walked closer, the island displayed 3 altars, and behind the altars 3 massive caves stood. The altars depicted sigils of the gods, one of Xindros, one of Koreias, and one of The Twelve. The altars for the former 2 had a yellow topaz and a shining jade rock fit into their centers, whilst the altar of The Twelve was missing one of its own. Suzy, in her infinite wisdom, went down the cave in the middle, positioned directly behind the altar to Xindros. As she entered she found herself in a open room, almost perfectly round, with light filtering in from nowhere in particular. 3 statues stood surrounding an identical altar to the one before. The statues stood in various positions of worship, and as Suzy investigated, she found herself staring at the light source above her. The statues all turned toward her, and spoke. "Not this one. Go back." In a flash of light Suzy opened her eyes to find herself back at the island, with no memory of what happened. The path now gone, seemingly never having been there in the first place. Lorelei, the Monk, decided she would venture down the path of the Lion's Turtle. As she descended the path, she found herself transported, almost without notice or care, to a tranquil sea of grass and wheat. The sun beating down on her face, and the winds blowing across her scales. She noticed the wind take forms, a jade color, a female being taking shape and disappearing. A voice emanated from the winds, "Go back. Not this one.." She opened her eyes again to find herself at the island again, no memory of what had happened. The path now gone, seemingly never having been there in the first place. Davij, the Sorcerer, made his way down the third path, the one behind the altar of The Twelve, and through the twists and turns he began to feel chilled, almost a wet cold. The path began to narrow, forcing single file had he been with a group. As he began to squeeze through and move more carefully, something made its presence known. The path opened up to a well lit cavern, torches and braziers on the walls. 40ft in front of him, he saw an altar much like the one before. Surrounding this altar on all sides, forming a crescent, 12 humanoid golems stood unmoving. Seemingly alive but uncaring. Davij, his mind like a basketball, noticed a gem in the center of the altar, and made a run for it. As he grabbed the gem, the room started shaking. He attempted to jump and flee, but the room seemed to not let him, forcing him down to the ground at each step. As he struggled to stand, a resounding boom filled the room. "More. More. MORE." He opened his eyes at the island, though he kept his memories, and the tunnel stayed. As Davij convinced his party of 4 to come with him, the same thing happened on moving through the tunnel. As the tunnel opened up, and when the last member entered the room, a voice entered their minds. "You have agreed to the challenge's terms. The Twelve will test you now." A light flashed over the leftmost figure, and their head rose. A look towards the party and violent scream stirred the other golems into action, and combat commenced. The party quickly discovered the fragility of the other 11, and the brute strength of the empowered one. They also discovered that should the empowered one die while any of the 11 live, the strength would pass to one of the 11 at random. After working around this, they managed to clear the trial, and were awarded 4 not-so-useful magical necklaces, and a water familiar. Upon leaving the caves and resting for a night, they moved west, finding the bandit camp relatively empty. After sneaking into the compound, they made quick back-to-back attacks on the supposed leader of the bandits, dealing heavy blows. The 3 other enemies present were quickly killed and the bandit leader, having announced himself to be 'King Julian' dealt heavy damage to Davij. After incapacitating King Julian, the party looted the compound and discovered that the majority of the bandits were on hunting missions or raiding missions, and that the compound usually had 29 members in it. The loot gained totaled to 200 silver, 50 in coin, studded leather armor, and a chainmail set of armor. King Julian also had made use of The Javelin of Lightning and The Javelin of Baneful Hearths. Lorelei tied King Julian to her back, and they carried him all the way back to the capitol city. On return, they provided the guards at the entrance with the bounty sheet and used King Julian's rampant announcing of his name to prove that he was in fact the leader of the bandits. After bringing King Julian before the Princess Lillian and the King Ra'Jin, the Princess decided to take him as a slave instead, after some confusion as to whether or not he was in fact Lorelei's pet. King Julian also managed to share with Lorelei the command word for the Javelin of Lightning before being taken away. His screams still echo in the nights, haunting the citizens of Coanahtan. After turning in their bounty, at the behest of the Princess they received double their rewards. 100s each. They continued towards Inns to sleep off their exhaustion, but Ota, the Weaver, headed towards a magic shop first. Upon encountering the magic shop owner, and asking about a bag of holding, Ota was asked to come closer for a moment. The magic shop keeper grabbed his arm and confirmed his suspicions of a weaver's presence, asking about the part of The Center that he is from. The keeper entrusted Ota with a leather ring box, not to be opened until 6 months have passed, and Ota returns to the shop. Session 4 After gathering once more and deciding to head for the south bounty in Econa, the party stopped in a town called Litn for the night. After arriving, the guild talks to the local barkeep, and finds out that a separate escort job is available. The escort job is heading in their direction, and was posted by the Adventurer's Guild in town. Suzy headed towards the center of the city under the dusk finding herself at the Adventurer's guild. When she entered, she saw a wild party with rows of bar tables and people drowning themselves in booze. She caught the attention of a human woman, who quickly and drunkenly introduced herself as Lila, and helped her get in touch with the Guild Master. After a drunken conversation with an absolute unit of a man, Suzy found that the drunken behemoth in front of her was actually the stand in Guild Master. After conversing for awhile, and meeting another guild member, a man named Roy, Suzy left the guild with new information, and an agreement on a job offer. In the morning the group left with the Guild, escorting a caravan of goods down south. Lila and Roy assisted the group with the escort, and when it was time to make camp, Roy and Lila led the group to an ancient temple grounds encased within a cavernous sinkhole. They made camp there, and in the night each of the group members received visions and messages from 3 of the Gods from the Xosa Pantheon. Koreias, Xindros, and The Twelve each spoke to one member of the party, whilst Davij had a unique dream. A scimitar, blade black as onyx, resting on an altar deep within the temple caverns. Lila and Roy seemed perturbed, but seemed to understand what was going on. Roy shared the information that the Gods of all lands have been absent since the most recent war started 100 years ago. That after the last treaty was broken, the Gods no longer communed with the mortal races. Even Paladins and Priests have a hard time getting straightforward responses. After telling each other the depths of their dreams, the group resolved to delve into the caverns, and the session left off there. Session 5 After awaking outside the temple, and deciding on delving within, the party descended into the cavern. Upon arriving to the base of the temple, the group made observations about the temple and its landscapes, and how it resembled the images they had seen in their dreams. Davij took no time to reflect, and walked directly into the temple. Standing ahead of his group, he recklessly moved deep into the temple, finding himself searching for any treasure. As the group caught up, and after some puzzle solving, the group came upon a water-logged passage, and two doors ahead of them. The doors were opposite each other, one flimsily held open, the other tightly held shut. As Davij and Suzy attempted to pry the door open, Ota curiously poked at the already opened door. Upon entering the room, the door slammed closed, and Ota was spirited away. As this happened, the previously shut door opened easily, and Davij slipped in without thinking. Suzy and Lorelai were alone now, Lila and Roy their only guides. Roy led them through the temple, seemingly knowing where he must go. As they solved puzzles and evaded traps, they found their way into a massive cavern. The light filtered in the cavern, and in the center sat a chest. A bridge led to it, and as the party crossed it, their previously disappeared allies arrived next to them. Before being given a chance to react, a voice spoke. "Well, quite the party we have here. Odd number of people to be coming to a funeral. Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we?" The sultry voice spoke, and was given form. A man stood tall next to Ota, and snapped his fingers. All the players were plunged into darkness, leaving them on their own. "Beautiful isn't it? - ''He stands in front of each player, walking in their direction, a sun setting peacefully behind him - "''The way the Light meets the Edge. It encapsulates your very begin, draws your attention in a most marvelous way." "It serves to distract, however, from the Dark rising behind you - ''As he says this, a bright moon rises behind the players back, shining down and casting a shadow in front of them. The man begins to talk some more, revealing himself as the God of the Sunset, Xolotl. As the players awake from this darkness, Davij is holding a shadowy orb in his hands, and Xolotl is paying him more mind that anyone else. He begins to offer Davij a deal, work with him and gain absolute power, but Davij becomes difficult to agree with, and after attempting to Shocking Grasp the God, Davij fails the Wild Magic check, and is sent off somewhere else. As this happens, the face of a Man, crowned in thorns appears above Davij, a smile, laugh, and sweet scent rolls through the air as Davij's body is replaced by a massive Onxy skinned Goliath. At the same time, a woman, dressed in roses and vines, appears behind Xolotl. She waves her hands and 2 creatures appear, a large male Ruri, and a Half-Harpy. She looks at Xolotl, smiles, and, before disappearing, looks at Ota with purpose. ''"Hm, a Weaver? Very disappointing. How about something more interesting?" As she says this, Ota's body morphs and changes, his Weaver class being removed, and replaced by a Shaman. The woman disappears, all the while Xolotl screams about his territory being disrupted. After this ends, the Goliath, Ruri, and Half-Harpy introduce themselves as David Thoololok, Jarlrin Shronhof, and Charon respectively. As they motion to leave the deep caverns, the central chest draws the eyes of David, and he and Jarlrin open it, releasing wisps of energy. Inside the chest is a single silver coin, marked with the Icons of Koreias. After finding a way out of the temple, they realize that 3 weeks have passed. Their campsite has been ransacked, the horses killed, and the caravan stolen. Lila and Roy decide to head towards Econa anyways, and on the way, Suzy and Charon fall victim to the entrapping words of Ea, the Trickster God, and are given identical twigs as gifts. Upon arriving in Econa, they find the town completely in ruin. Fires erupting from the city, people screaming, the smell of death and burning hang in the air. The session ended there. Session 6 The group goes into rescue mode, trying their hardest to put out fires and treat victims of the burning. However, as they move towards the center of the city, they become aware of a more dastardly thing. A child stands in front of them as they reach the center square, and as he raises his arms, he notices Charon. Unhappy with the clear presence of Ea, the child reaches out in an attempt to rid his presence of the Half-Harpy, however at the last moment Ea appears and zaps Charon from danger. Combat ensues a the Child raises his hands and summons 10 Borumean army men. After slaying the army, the child appears on the top of the Cathedral in the center square, and begins to summon a Bronze Dragon. Before completing the summoning, however, a sweet scent fills the air, and thorns entangle the child's body. Ripping and squeezing at the flesh, the child's body is torn to shreds, and the Bronze Dragon is not fully summoned. Without a head, the dragon's body collapses on the cathedral and lays unmoving. With combat over, the town in ruin, and the child dead, the party begins to ask questions. Roy explains that the Child was likely the Borum God The Beggar, and that this act was a declaration of war that the world hasn't seen for years. After collecting themselves, skinning the dragon, and happening upon a gruesome sight inside the cathedral, the group moved through the town, speaking with towns folk, and happening upon various items of interest. David found himself in a cellar of the Fighter's Guild, with many magical weapons and items surrounding him. He picked up some leather bound gauntlets with steel bracers, and took a sword, mace, some jewelry, and some plate armor. He arrived again with the group, and presented Suzy with the gauntlets. As soon as Suzy donned the gauntlets, the Steel turned to Gold, and the Leather to a Jade Green color. Past this, the council of the city was convening, and after having interacted with many of the people still alive, the group decided they would do what they had to do for the country to survive. Ota went to meditate, and received a blessing from the Goddess Nyxum. Jarlrin went to continue skinning the Dragon, and was met with the God Ishtar. The session ended here. Session 7 Roy teleported the group via Dimension Door back to the capital, and upon arriving in the center square, petitioned an audience with the King and Princess. After alerting them to what had happened, the King assigned Roy and Lila to speak with the Generals, revealing that none of them wish to cooperate at the moment due to the absence of Roy and Lila's guild master, their leader. The group is assigned to various missions, with David and Ota taking a side job from the King to assassinate King Julian. As they creep through the royal temple, they happened upon King Julian's abode. Before being able to attack him, King Julian blew the door off the room, and uttered the words "I wish, to be freed of my mortal coil". He began to ascend to godhood, and that was the last they would see of him, or so they thought. The rest of the group traveled through the city, buying magic items and various things. Roy went to the docks to search for a ship that could ferry them to Borum, while Lila dealt with the generals. Suzy and Jarlrin paired up to find a Magic enchanter's shop, as after selling all of their dragon scales they were now very rich. They happened upon the enchanter's shop, and after doing business, Suzy realized she wouldn't be able to attune to her now enchanted armor. She, as a solution to this, broke the Many Faced Blade of the Trickster God over her knee, cursing herself to be tormented by Ea for the rest of her times. She was subsequently banned from all magic shops and dubbed 'Suzy "Stick Breaker" Avendale'. At that moment, loud canon fire could be heard all around the city, and the group rushed towards the docks. They found Roy and Lila standing in front of a massive ship. The ship was the size of a city block, and the sails were painted many colors. A large man stood at the bow of the ship, and walked toward the Port side, lowering the plank. As he stepped across, the man appeared to be a very extravagant and glorious Pirate, and as he stepped off he brought with him 2 coffins. He began to speak to Roy and Lila as though they were old friends, but they didn't seem too receptive of this. He introduced himself as Cavendish, the Pirate Prince, son of the Pirate King and an amazing man overall. His thick Harvenmaan accent charmed the party, and as he had his men set the coffins down, one of them opened. A small Tiefling arose from it, with a massive scythe strapped to his back. He introduced himself as Leucis, and stepped out of the coffin quite graciously. The other coffin was opened by the crew, and a hand rose from it and tried to find the cover to close it again. Out of it, a man reluctantly stood, and introduced himself as Celpsion Carlo Emont La III, the greatest of great men. Cavendish offered his ship as service to bring the Champions of the Gods to battle. After this, the group headed to the royal palace, and spoke with the King. They brought out battle plans, and discussed what to do. After coming up with a plan, the group set sail with Cavendish, fighting an Aboleth before leaving. Session 8 A number of miniature sessions occurred, with David, Jarlrin, Ota, and Suzy being the most active members of the ship at a time. Various interactions with Gods led to the party becoming aware of a bartering system via old coins of the Gods. Jarlrin and David were each in possession of 1, and traded their coins for different things. David accidentally made a point of staring too long at the Marshed Lands, even after being told by Cavendish not to, and was instantly charmed and almost jumped ship. This was not explained by Cavendish, only hinting that the Marshed Lands should be entirely avoided. In another mini-session, the David, Ota and Suzy delved into the seas using a Cube of Force David obtained from his God. At the bottom of a trench, they discovered a obelisk, and on the obelisk was written the words The Witch, Nicera, and Sealed, as well as the phrase Manifestations of Sin. All written in Abyssal, only Suzy could read it. David, in his infinite wisdom, elected to destroy the obelisk. A resounding wave of power rang through the oceans as he did this, and the group was sent to the surface of the ocean. As a result, the notebook with D.R written in it began to have more substance. Suzy investigated it, finding the book held more information the less she desired to find it. Learning the story of Nicera, The Witch, Suzy was immediately visited by Koreias, and told to forget what she had read. The same thing happened to David later on when he began speaking to the Witch without knowing, thinking he was simply speaking to the ocean. The mini-sessions were generally uneventful past these plot points. Session 9 The group went fishing, and waited to arrive in the Pirate town of Massus. Upon doing so, they found themselves on a mission to obtain more Godly Coins. They came into contact with different individuals, and either payed them or competed for the coins. Jarlrin and Suzy were each given Golden versions of these coins, with unfamiliar markings on them. Suzy, after receiving hers, went to the shrine to the Pirate King in the city, and found Cavendish sitting there praying. She spoke with him after, and learned that his fear of the Marshed Lands is sourced from his Mother, who as a Pirate, delved into the Marshed Lands in an attempt to find the power to keep her homeland free. She disappeared then, and Cavendish was left alone. Suzy prayed to the Pirate King after, thanking him and hoping that all the people of the world can have their freedom. That she wishes to fight so that others don't have to. After regrouping in the center square, the group approached a Dwarven blacksmith. The blacksmith introduced himself as Samlin, and his sons Johnny and Jimmy worked for him. He was a quick talking man, and he did quick business. Jarlrin, however, changed things by asking about any coins. Samlin went to retrieve his stash of God coins, being willing to part with them for 20s a piece. However, as he emptied the pouch, he quickly grabbed one from the air before the group could properly see it. Jarlrin asked him about that coin in particular, sparking a discussion of coins that should not be in this world. Jarlrin and Suzy displayed their coins, asking if he meant things like this, and fear ran down his face. He yelled at his sons to pray to Vinasi, and make sure the Gods are aware of this. At that time, Vinasi and Kale appeared, presumably to warn the party. However, too late did they arrive that a blade sunk into Suzy's back, and an arrow pierced Jarlrin's shoulder. Combat began, as the men who presented the two with the Golden Coins arrived, taunting them. The Gods disappeared from the square, and Samlin only uttered the words "''Wrath, they are here". ''The Session ended there.